1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an outrigger for a boom truck or the like and more particularly to an outrigger for a boom truck or the like which may be extended outwardly, forwardly and downwardly from one side of a boom truck or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,472 entitled “DUAL MODE OUTRIGGER FOR A BOOM TRUCK OR THE LIKE”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto, a pair of outriggers of the A-frame type are disclosed, each of which may be extended outwardly and downwardly from one side of the truck or which may be extended downwardly at one side of the truck. Although the dual mode outrigger of U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,472 is meeting with success, the applicant herein is desirous of providing an A-frame outrigger of either the single or dual mode which may be extended outwardly, forwardly and downwardly from the side of the truck to eliminate the need for an outrigger at the front end of the truck. One might think that the same would be easily accomplished by simply pivotally connecting the inner end of the outrigger, about a vertical axis, to the truck. If the outrigger is simply pivoted to the truck, the outer end of the outrigger, in its deployed or extended position, will not be located sufficiently laterally distant from the side of the truck thereby reducing the stability of the truck. The next logical thing that a designer may do to solve the problem is to simply lengthen the outrigger to place the outer end thereof sufficiently distant from the truck to achieve the necessary stability for the truck. However, simply lengthening the outrigger is not possible due to the necessity of having adequate space adjacent the truck to store the outrigger in its inoperative or stored position.